weiss



(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 1.

' O W WEISS TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented July 23 1895.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2 v 0. W. WEISS. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 543,164. I Patented July 23, 1 895.

V (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented July 23, 1895.

UNITED STATES CARL -W. WEISS, OF

PATENT OFFICE."

BRO OKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND AUGUST MIETZ, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-WRITI NG MACH N E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 543,164,'dated July 23,1895. Application filed April 26,1853}. Serial No. 509,060. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, CARL W. WEISS, of Brooklyn, inthe county of Kings andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inType-\Vriters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, making a partof this specification.

This invention relates in general to that class of type-writing machinesin which the 'type characters are supported by a carrier which isrotated or oscillated or vibrated to bring one or another of such typecharacters to the line of printgbut as the description of the preferredembodiment of the invention proceeds it will be seen that variousfeatures of the invention are applicable to other forms of machines.

The object of the invention is to produce a type-writing machine of lowcost of manufacture, of easy and rapid action, and of great durabilityand efficiency. The bringing of the type characters to the line of printis controlled by pneumatic devices whereby the use of leversintermediate the keys and the type characters or type-carrier isdispensed with and the action of the machine made correspondinglylighter, and the construction simpler, cheaper, and less likely to bedisarranged. The type characters are mounted upon a suitable carrier,and instead of requiring the paper to be brought against the type (withan interposed ink-ribbon) as is usual. in machines of this generalcharacter, the type characters are adapted to be moved individuallyagainst the paper.

In the particular machine for illustration of the several features ofthe invention the type characters are secured to light springs which aremounted abouta hub. The latter is impelled to rotate by a clock-springor other suitable motor acting through simple gearing and the keys ofthe machine are adapted to operate corresponding plungers, which releasethe type-carrier for movement and determine the extent of such movement.It will be understood, however, that the several mechanical devices andtheir combination and arrangement may be varied without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a type-writingmachine which embodies the invention. Fig. 2is asection on the irregularplane-indicated by the line a; m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectionthrough the keyboard. Fig. 4 is a partial section on the liney y ofFig.2, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe'es- .capement-plate, showing also the friction-dog with the drivenshaft in section. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of thefriction-dog shown in Fig. ,5. Fig. 7 is a detail view show ing theupper faceof the main gear with its hammer-actuating cams, the stem ofthe hammer-lever and the driven pinion and its shaft being shown insection. Fig. 8 is a detail I view ofthe under side of the same gear,showing the spacing-clutch or escapement. Fig.

9 is an enlar ed detail view in section throu h the type-carrier and itsappurtenances. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the hub of the type-carrier onthe same scale as Fig. 9, and Fig. 11

.is a detail view of one of the spring type-bars removed from thecarrier, also on the same scale as Fig. 9.

In the machine represented in the drawings the various working parts aresupported bya frame or casing; 10, which may be of any desirable form,but is preferably so constructed and arranged as to support in aninclined position the front plate 11. A second plate 12 is held parallelwith the front plate 11 by studs 13, and by these two plates most of theworking parts are directly supported.

In a suitable bearing carried by the plate 11 is journaled a short shaft14, which is impelled to rotate in one direction by any suitable motor,such as a clock-spring 15, and to which is connected 2. largegear 1b.The latter engages a pinion 17, mounted on and adapted to drive a shaft18 to which the typecarrier is connected, the ratio of the gear andpinion being preferably as ten to one, where- 5 by the pinion receives acomplete rotationfor every one-tenth of a rotation of the gear.

is substantially of ordinary construction, having a roller 22, mountedin suitable bearings 23, and a presser-roll 24, and being adaptedtoslide to and fro in guides (preferably three in number) which aresecured to the plate 11.

It 'is obvious that as the pinion 19 rotates under the influence of thespring 15 the carriage will be moved in the proper direction forprinting the successive letters and words of a line, and that when thecarriage is moved in the opposite direction by the hand of the operatorthe spring will be rewound. The pinion 17, of course, does not rotatecontinually, but its rotation is controlled by an escapement devicewhich permits only a single rotation-of the pinion for each operation ofthe escapement. A block 27 is held frictionally upon the shaft 18 byspring-clamps 28 (see Figs. 2, 5, and 6) and has an aperture 29 parallelwith the axis of the shaft, which is engaged by a pin 30 fixed to thehub of the pinion 17, the latter being mounted loosely on the shaft 18,and having a sleeve 31 with a flange 32 for engagement with a roller 33carried by a bracket 34 fixed to the plate 11, whereby the pinion ispermitted to rotate independently of the shaft under certaincircumstances and is held from longitudinal movement thereon. The block27 also is provided with a fingerw35 which is adapted to be engaged by astop-pin 36 fixed to a swinging plate 37. The latter is hung uponsuitable brackets 38 secured to the upper portion of the plate 11, andis arranged to be moved very easily. A guard-pin 39 is also fixed to theplate 37 to insure the proper action of the escapement device.

From the foregoing it will be understood that at each operation of theeseapement device the pinion 17 makes a complete rotation while theshaft 18, being carried frictionally with the pinion 17, may also make acomplete rotation or may be stopped at any point in such rotation.

The means whereby "the rotation of the shaft 18 is checked at any pointwhich may be necessary to bring the type-carrier to rest with thedesired type character thereon at the line of print will presently bedescribed. Such means comprise, in the machine represented in thedrawings, a series of movable stops which are arranged in a circle aboutthe axis of the shaft 18 and are adapted to be moved, at the election ofthe operator, to strike the plate 37 for the purpose of releasingthe-escapement, and also to stand in the path of an arm 40 which iscarried by theshaft 18, whereby the rotation of the shaft will-bechecked at a point determined by the particular stop which is operated.

As represented in Figs. 2 and 4, the arm 40 is forked to embrace theshaft 18 and is held thereto by a pin 41 which passes through the shaft,whereby the arm is free to swing more or less in a plane passing throughthe axis of the shaft.

As hereinbefore stated, the movements of the type-carrier are controlledby pneumatic devices, whereby the usual finger-keys and the several typebearers or levers are dispensed with. Accordingly the movable stopsbefore referred to are formed as pistons 42, which are arranged to movethrough cylinders 43, secured to the plate 12. Each cylinder isconnected by a suitable tube 44 to its respective air-compressor, whichconstitutes the finger-key. As represented in the drawings, each tube 44is connected to a corresponding nipple 45, which is secured to the underside of the plate 11, while a small rubber bulb 46 is secured upon theouter side of the plate 11 over the orifice through each nipple 45. Asshown clearly in Figs. 1 and .3, all of the air-compressing bulbs orfinger-keys 46 may be conveniently secured in place by a single plate47, which has apertures for the several bulbs and is adapted to bescrewed down to clamp the flanges of the bulbs firmly to the plate 11.Whenever any one of the bulbs 46 is struck by the finger of the operatorthe air, or whatever other fluid may be employed, is compressedsufficiently to drive out the corresponding plunger 42, and to cause itto strike the plate 37, thereby releasing the escapement and permittingthe pinion 17 and shaft 18 to rotate together. The pinion will completeits rotation at every operation, being stopped only by the contact ofthe finger 35 with the stop-pin 36 at the end of its revolution. Theshaft 18, however, will be checked by the contact of the arm 40 with theparticular plunger which has been thrown out, the plate 37 being set atsome distance from the plate 12, so that the plunger thrown out,whatever may be its position in the circle with reference to the formerposition of the arm 40, shall not have time to fall back out of the pathof'the arm before it is struck by the same. The elasticity of the fluidmedium employed, together with the elasticity of the the containers,will be sufficient to allow the plunger to be held out by the contact ofthe arm 40 therewith until the printing operation has been completed, orat least until the pinion 17 has been brought to rest by the escapementdevice.

It will be'seen that whenever one of the plungers 42 is thrown out thetype-carrier will be moved, and, as willappear more clearly hereinafter,the printing-hammer will also be actuated. f

It further becomes necessary, or at least desirab1e,'to provideindependent means for permitting movement of the paper-carriageindependently of the mechanism just referred to for the purpose ofspacing. Accordingly the gear 16 is not fixed to the shaft 14, but isconnected thereto through a clutch or escapement device which can beoperated by the spacing-key to permit a movement of the shaft 14sufficient to advance the paper-carriage one space. The gear 16 ismounted loosely upon the shaft 14 and bears upon its IOC shapedin orderto combine rigidity with lightness. Between one end of. theescapementbar 51 and its support is fixed a light spring 52,- which issufficient to keep the longer arm 'of the bar normally away from thegear 16 and beyond the path of the cam-lugs 48, while the other end ofthe bar rests against the vertical face of one of the cam-lugs. In linewith the shaft 14 a piston 53 moves in a cylinder 54,

which is secured to the plate 12 and is connected by a tube 55 with thespacing key or compressor indicated at 46 in Fig. 1. The operation ofthe spacing-key causes the piston 53 to be thrown up to strike theescapemeutbar 51 with su'lficient force to disengage its shorter armfrom the lug 48 with which it was in engagement, and accordingly torelease the shaft 14 from the gear 16, which is held from rotation bythe escapelnent devices 35 36, as

concerns the mechanism already described the type-carrier might be ofany usual form and arrangement, and that the paper might be movedagainst the type to produce the impression by a hammer, or that theimpression might be produced in any other usual and The particular formof.

well-known way. type-carrier which I prefer to employ, how

ever, is that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, andon a larger scale and in detailin Figs. 9, 10, and This type-carrier comprises a hub or sleeve 56,having at one end a disk 57 with stepped notches 58 about itscircumference and a flange 59 outside of the notches 58,and

a second disk 60 with a series of radial notches 61 near'thecircumference thereof and corresponding to the notches 58.

The type characters (indicated at 62 in Fig. 9), are formed upon orsecured to narrow strips of spring metal 63, each strip bearing in alongitudinal seriesa lower-case letter, an upper-case letter, and anumeral or punctuationmark, or other desired character. The otherextremity of the strip is notched, as at 64, and is provided near thenotch with a head or rib. 65. In assembling the parts of thetype-carrier each strip 63 is slipped through the proper slot 61 andinto the stepped notch 58 corresponding therewith, the head or rib 65hearing upon the inner sideof the flange 59 and forcing the notchedportion of the'strip into engagement with the narrow'portion of thenotch 58. The strips will then rest normally against the inner ends ofthe slots 61 in the upper disk 60, and may be moved from withinoutwardly toward the paper by a suitable hammer which moves within thecircle of strips. The type-carrier stands normally in such position asto bring the lower-case letters opposite the line of print, and in orderthat the upper-case letters or the numerals and punctuation-marks maybebrought to the line of print the carrier is made to move1ongitudinally with "the shaft 18 as well as to turn therewith. For thispurpose a sleeve 66 is fixed to the shaft 18 by a pin 67. At the outerend of the'sleeve 66 is an arm or preferably a disk 68, to which isfixed a pin 69 which passes through a hole in the disk 57 of thetype-carrier. The sleeve 66 rotates always with the shaft 18 and moveslongitudinally therewith and is therefore adapted to lift thetype-carrier or to move'the same outwardly. The type-carrier might befixed to the shaft '18; but in order to permit of its re:

block 18 which is carried by the shaft 18,

provision being made topermit of rotation of the block and shaft withrespect to thelink 72.

The means for producing an imprint, after the type-carrier has been set,comprise a hammer and devices for actuating the same after thetypeearrier has come to rest. The hammer proper 73 is bent substantiallyas repre-- sented in Fig. 2 and is pivotaily mounted upon the outer endof a hammer-lever 74, pivoted on the front plate 11, the hammer having alug 73? which rests upon a stop-pin 74 fixed to the lever 74, wherebythe hammer is carried toward the paper by the movement of thehammer-lever, but may be turned back .out of'the way whenever thetype-carrier is to arranged that they will successively lift the end. ofthe hammer-lever against the pressure of a spring 76, which'is arrangedto bear upon IIO said lever and to allow it to slip off just as the gearand pinion come to rest, thereby causing the hammer-head to be movedsharply against the inside of the particular letterstrip which may be inline with it, and to cause the same to strike the paper or theinterposed ribbon. The spring 76 is held in place by a thumb-screw 77and nut 78, whereby the pressure of said spring upon the hammer-levermay be adjusted to regulate the force of the blow of the hammer asrequired.

In order thatthe machine may be represented in a complete form, thedrawings show in Figs. 1 and 2 an ink-ribbon 79, which is carried byspools 80 and 81 mounted upon standards 82 and 83, and is guided betweenthe type-carrier and the paper-roller 22 by a suitable plate 84.

It is obvious that the'features of the invention might be embodiedeitherseverally or conjointly in other arrangements than the particular oneshown and it is to be understood accordingly that the structure hereinshown and described is not essential to the application of theinvention, but is merely one embodiment thereof.

What I claim is 1. A typewriting machine having a typecarrier movable tobring one or another of the type characters to the line of print, aseries of compressors adapted to be actuated by the operator meansactuated thereby to determine the extent of movement of said typecarriers and a motor independent of the compressors to impart movementto the type carrier.

2. A typewriting machine having a series of compressors adapted to beoperated by the fingers, a type carrier movable to bring one or anotherof the type characters to the line of print, an arm moving with saidtype carrier, and stops adapted to be moved into the path of said arm bythe operation of said compressors.

3. The combination of a type carrier movable to bring one or another ofthe type characters to the line of print, a motor to impel the same inone direction, an escapement device to hold or release said typecarrier, a series of compressors adapted to be operated by the fingers,and means actuated thereby to operate said escapement device.

4. The combination of a type carrier movable to bring one or another ofthe type charactors to the line of print, an arm moving with said typecarrier, a series of cylinders, a series of plungers movable in saidcylinders, and a series of compressors connected with said cylinders,whereby any one of said plungers can be moved into the path of said arm.

5. The combination of a type carrier movable to bring one or another ofthe type characters to the line of print, a motor to impel the same inone direction, an arm moving with said type carrier, a series ofcylinders, a series of compressors connected to said cylinders, a seriesof plungers movable by the operation of said compressors into the pathof said arm, and an escapement device to hold orrelease said typecarrier and adapted to be operated by the movement of any one of saidplungers.

6. The combination of a shaft, a motor to impel said shaft, a typecarrier borne by said shaft, an arm carried by said shaft, a series ofcylinders arranged about the axis of said shaft, a series of compressorsconnected to said cylinders and a series of plungers any one of which ismovable by the operation of a corresponding compressor into the path ofsaid arm.

7. The combination ofa shaft, a motor to impel said shaft, a typecarrier borne by said shaft, a finger rotating with said shaft, anescapement plate having astop to engage said finger, a series ofcylinders, a series of compressors connected to said cylinders and aseries of plungers any one of which is movable by the operation of thecorresponding compressor to strike said plate and open the escapement.

8. The combination of a shaft, a type car-. rier borne by said shaft, apinion frictionally mounted on said shaft, motor and intermediategearing for driving said pinion, and means to check positively therotation of said shaft while permitting the pinion to continue itsrotation. p

9. The combination of a shaft, a type carrier borne by said shaft, apinion frictionally mounted on said shaft, a motor and intermediategearing for driving said pinion, an escapement finger carried with saidpinion, an escapement stop movably supported and means to shift saidstop, whereby the pinion is permitted to have a complete rotation ateach operation of the escapement regardless of the movement of theshaft.

10. In a typewriter havinga movable paper carriage and a motor thereforand means to hold the carriage temporarily from movement, an aircompressor and means operated thereby to release the carriage formovement by the motor.

11. The combination of a paper carriage,a shaft geared thereto, a motorto impel said shaft, a gear mounted loosely on said shaft, a clutch tocouple said gear to said shaft, and means to operate said clutch topermit movement of the shaft independently of said gear.

12. The combination of a paper carriage, a shaft geared thereto, a motorto impel said shaft, a gear mounted loosely on said shaft, a clutch tocouple said gear to said shaft, a compressor and means actuated by theoperation of said compressor to open said clutch.

13. The combination of a paper carriage, a shaft geared thereto, a motorto impel said shaft, a gear mounted loosely on said shaft, and having aseries of lugs upon one face thereof, an escapement lever carried bysaid shaft and adapted to engage said lugs and means to shift said leverto release said shaft from said gear.

14. The combination of a paper carriage, a

shaft geared thereto, a motor to impel said shaft, a gear mountedloosely on said shaft,

and having a series of lugs upon one face thereof, an escapernent levercarried by said shaft and adapted toengage said lugs, a spring to forcesaid lever into engagement with said lugs, a cylinder fixed in line withsaid shaft, a plunger in said cylinder and a compressor connected withsaid cylinder and adapted to operate said plunger to shift said leverand to release the shaft from the gear.

15. A type carrier for typewriting machines composed of a hub having anotched periphcry with an outer flange and a series of spring stripsnotched at one end to engage the notches of said hub and bearing typecharacters at their free ends, each strip having arib 15 on its outerface near its notched end to rest against said flange.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

- CARL W. WEISS. Witnesses: 1

A. N. JESBERA, A. WIDDER.

